AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays
$100 Cash Back Bonus after you spend $500 in 3 months. No annual fee.
- Welcome offer
- Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com
“Earn a $100 Cash Back Bonus”
- Annual fee
- Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com
“Annual Fee is $0.”
- Purchase APR
- Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com
“Purchases – 20.49% to 29.99%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors.”
- Foreign transaction fee
- Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com
“Foreign transaction fee: 3%.”
We don't earn anything from this link. Select any underlined figure to see where it comes from.
What it's worth
| Spending | First year | After |
|---|---|---|
| Light spender | $145 | $145 |
| Typical spender | $350 | $350 |
| Heavy spender | $735 | $730 |
The spending each assumes, a month
- Light spender: groceries $300, dining $100, gas $100, everything else $500
- Typical spender: groceries $600, dining $300, gas $200, travel $150, everything else $1,250
- Heavy spender: groceries $900, dining $600, gas $300, travel $600, airfare $300, hotels $300, everything else $2,500
Assumed: +$200 if a current cardholder refers you (AARP Mastercard from Barclays referral offer); not counted: 2x Eligible Medical expenses, like purchases at doctors, dentists, chiropractors, glasses, hearing aids and more.
Estimates from the published terms above, as checked Oct 4, 2026; not advice. How we value cards
How it compares
- No annual fee, like about 100% of the 49 cards on our 0% intro APR list (see the list).
- Worth more to a typical spender than about 80% of the 650 cards we track.
Shares rounded to 5 points. Fees and APRs as stated; value for our typical spender. Method
Welcome offer
$100 cash
After you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months.
The bonus is available after spending $500 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. The bonus may only be earned once, and applicants may not be eligible if they currently have or previously had an account with Barclays in this program.
How you earn
- 3%Gas purchases (excluding Target and Walmart)
- 3%Drug Store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart)
- 2%Eligible Medical expenses, like purchases at doctors, dentists, chiropractors, glasses, hearing aids and more
- 1%Everything else
Rates and fees
| Annual fee | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com “Annual Fee is $0.” |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com “Purchases – 20.49% to 29.99%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors.” |
| Intro APR | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com “0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening.” |
| Balance transfer APR | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com “After that (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) your APR will be 20.49% to 29.99%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors.” |
| Balance transfer fee | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com “Balance transfer fee: 5% (min.” |
| Cash advance APR | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com “The variable APR for cash advances is 29.99%.” |
| Cash advance fee | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com The source states this figure; we have no exact sentence on file yet. |
| Foreign transactions | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com “Foreign transaction fee: 3%.” |
| Minimum interest charge | Issuer's pagecards.barclaycardus.com The source states this figure; we have no exact sentence on file yet. |
Carrying a balance? See how long it takes to pay off
Benefits
- Unlimited rewards with no limit on the amount that can be earned.
- Rewards can be redeemed for cash back, statement credits, AARP memberships, gift cards, and merchandise. AARP memberships can be redeemed for yourself or as a gift, starting at $16 in rewards.
- Complimentary online access to a FICO Credit Score, subject to account activity, good standing, availability, and Barclays' discretion.
- $0 Fraud Liability Protection for unauthorized charges.
- Barclays will donate $10 for every newly approved AARP-branded credit card account that is used within the first 90 days of account opening, plus 1% of eligible electronic and telecommunications purchases, subject to a $1 million annual maximum donation.
Questions
- What is the annual fee?
- $0 cards.barclaycardus.com, since Sep 29, 2026
- Does it charge a foreign transaction fee?
- Yes: 3%. cards.barclaycardus.com, since Sep 29, 2026
- What is the purchase APR?
- 20.49–29.99% APR cards.barclaycardus.com, since Sep 29, 2026
- Is there an intro APR?
- 0% for the first 15 billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. cards.barclaycardus.com, since Sep 29, 2026
- Is there a welcome bonus?
- $100 cash back after $500 in purchases in 3 months. cards.barclaycardus.com, since Oct 1, 2026
Other cash back cards with no annual fee
- Susan G. Komen Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card - Pink RibbonBank of America · No annual fee+$360 a year
- The One Key Card No Annual FeeWells Fargo · No annual fee+$300 a year
- West Elm Key Rewards VisaCapital One · No annual fee+$275 a year
Against this card, for our typical spender's value (rewards and credits minus fees, after the first year).